Run Your Route

"But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground." --John 8:6Read: John 8

Question: What do the most gifted, talented football players in the world have in common? Seeing as it's the day after the Super Bowl, I thought I'd ask. Is it their speed? Strength? Endurance? No. It's much simpler actually. They huddle before every play. If they didn't, the receivers wouldn't know where to run, the linemen wouldn't know who to block, and the poor quarterback would be left to scramble for his life! Just imagine the chaos! (Not to mention the penalties.) Sure, even though everyone knows the end zone is the ultimate goal, they still have to stop, get their routes and execute.

As Christians, our ultimate prize of Heaven isn't based on our performance. Jesus paid the price and defeated our opponent - the enemy - for us. But our daily walk to victory would be so much more fulfilling, rewarding and effective if we stopped each day to talk and listen to Him. Remember the verse of Him writing in the sand? Try to imagine Him doing that each day for you and me. (Because He does.) With a nail-pierced hand, He writes our routes (and rights our wrong ones) to show us how grace wins every time.

--Jimmy Peña

Run Your Route: Honored to be in the huddle with you guys. This is me looking you all in the eyes; all of us sweating, hurting, healing, working. Today's play: Hit our knees, talk to Jesus, live and love like Him as best we can, embrace grace when we fail miserably at it and give Him the glory if we come anywhere close (which adds up to filthy rags that require just as much grace.) Ok, ready? Break.